Antimicrobial resistance is reducing the availability of effective antimicrobial treatments worldwide. Resistant organisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites, are able to withstand attack by antimicrobial medicines, so that standard treatments become ineffective. Infections by such resistant organisms persist increasing the risk of spreading to others. The evolution of resistant strains of organisms is a natural phenomenon that occurs when microorganisms are exposed to antimicrobial drugs, and resistant traits can be exchanged between certain types of bacteria. The misuse of antimicrobial medicines also accelerates the emergence of resistant organisms.
With the decrease in effective antimicrobial treatments due to the emergence of resistant organisms, new antimicrobial therapeutics are needed. The number of new antimicrobial therapies developed and approved has steadily decreased in the past three decades, leaving even fewer options to treat resistant organisms.
Accordingly, a need exists for antimicrobial treatments and therapeutics having broad spectrum antimicrobial activity. Moreover, a need exists for effectively inhibiting the growth and spread of harmful microorganisms.